Dream Within A Dream
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: Alternate Universe. Miles and Phoenix are about to have their lives turned inside out and, at this point, they have no idea how much change will come. A mirror will reveal a secret that Miles is desperately trying to hide... Teen, Vampire!PxE
1. Prologue: All That We See Or Seem

_A/N:__ This story is my take on what happens when Miles-not by desire, but by a violent act-becomes a Vampire and, as such, is firmly in the "Alternate Universe" section. _

_Since this is my first ever foray into this particular genre-and one I don't have any experience in writing-I'm understandably nervous... not to mention a little long-winded in explanations. I hope that you enjoy reading it!  
_

_A couple of things: "SuperNaturals" is spelled that way for a reason and that is because this is going to be a quite a motley crew of numerous supernatural beings-including other vampires and the like-mixed in with monsters who have come together in order to raise hell in the human world. I'm still working out the bugs in this group's creation; they will be introduced later on. All the titles of different chapters will be composed of quotes by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) who is my favourite horror author. I thought it would be interesting, not to mention a little bit different, to do so since I like to do things a little bit differently__._*  
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_Miles and Phoenix are about to have their lives turned upside down and inside out; a terrible dream that Miles has only makes things worse. At this point, Miles and Phoenix have no idea how much their lives are about to change... and a mirror is about to reveal a secret that Miles is desperately trying to hide._

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My first Vampire!PxE fic! I hope you all enjoy it since it is quite the quirky fic-not to mention humorous with dark comedy having free reign throughout-with some horror overtones but not many; if anything, it's much more funny with some angst mixed in for good measure! I love dream sequences! You can have so much fun in them! :)

The good thing about Vampire fiction is that there are so many different kinds out there so one can pick and choose what they want their specific Vampire character to be like. For mine, I chose to have the vampiric Miles immune to sunlight, garlic, holy water and crosses (much like the vampiric character Keith Valentine in the **AWESOME** video game_ ShadowHearts_); although he's _not_ as strong as other SuperNaturals, he _can_ take quite a bit of punishment but he _does_ have a breaking point.

He can be healed by moonlight (a nice touch, I thought, and a something a little bit different), does not cast a reflection in a mirror, is immune to poison and other such nasty things, gets a bit queasy when faced with dead things (not surprising, in my mind. He's only been a Vampire for a short while, about four months or so, and I expect it would be something he would have to get used to and it _wouldn't_ be an easy thing to adjust to, at any rate), can drink tea in addition to blood (although he _can't_ eat solid food, he can make it _look_ like he is eating when necessary to hide his SuperNatural identity) and is generally having a _very_ hard time adjusting to life as a Vampire mainly because he's afraid that Phoenix will leave him if he tells him he's now Undead. (Silly Miles!)  
I'm also having Miles have telepathic powers of talking with someone in his mind. I've always loved the Mind-Speech capabilities and Projecting of Valdemar Heralds in Mercedes Lackey's "Heralds of Valdemar" series and I have given Miles similar abilities; it's quite useful when you need to talk to someone and you don't want other "people"-loosely speaking-listening in. This symbol, **::**, placed before and after a conversation, designates talking mind to mind. (I had used two brackets but they didn't show up when I uploaded so I used :: instead.)

Anyway, I do hope that you enjoy my take on Vampire!PxE! It _really_ is a very quirky story and has quite of bit of humor laced throughout which was quite a surprise to me as I'm writing it. It wasn't _supposed_ to be funny at all but humorous bits kept cropping up time after time; I know better than to argue with my Muses-they _really_ are an odd bunch!-so I've gone with the flow, as it were, and I do like how the story is unfolding!

Comments, constructive criticism and suggestions are most welcome, as always!

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Dedicated to Attalander from y!Gallery who's wonderful PxE vampire fanfiction first inspired this work of mine. Thank you for the inspiration and I hope you like it!  
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**HUGE** thanks to ShadowPhoenix & Midnight-hunter, my betas, for their comments, help and support! Love you guys and thank you so much for your input! *HUG*  
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As always, much love to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his enduring love, support, encouragement, nagging (when necessary) and comfort when I feel like tearing out my hair during the writing process! Love you, babe!

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Teen, Vampire!Phoenix x Edgeworth, Alternate Universe/Supernatural/Romance/Humor/Horror/Comfort

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**All That We See or Seem Is But A Dream Within A Dream**

* * * *

_The sun was sinking slowly over the horizon, draping the world in a soft velvet blanket of ebony as I stood on top of the knoll in the Park, doubled over and panting loudly, waiting for my injuries to complete the process of healing. I hoped fervently that tonight would be the night for the full moon to rise._

_Moments later, I slowly straightened up and looked around, the carnage surrounding me on all sides most grotesque. I shuddered slightly as I got a _really_ good look at all the twisted, broken and torn corpses that littered the landscape. I felt my stomach heave slightly, my lip curling in distaste at all the contorted wreckage, some human, most not, that fanned out in a fifteen-foot circle in front of where I stood._

_Although I am what you would call_ "a card carrying member of the Undead," _I hadn't been one for very long and dead bodies of any sort, human or otherwise, made me feel queasy. I expected that, once I'd been a vampire for a few centuries that this will cease to bother me but, for right now, it still made me uneasy and made my stomach churn._

_With all of that aside, there was something else on my mind that was making me feel uneasy at the present and that was the whereabouts of Phoenix. I could neither see nor feel him in the direct vicinity and it was starting to worry me; being human, he made a very tasty target for some of my fellow Brethren which was the _last _thing I wanted to happen._

_I was certain that he was injured although I had no idea, at this point, to what extent or even what his specific injuries were; all I knew was that I didn't want him to be alone when full darkness came. I knew better than he did what was out there and I didn't want him to have to tangle with roving packs of who knows what that were lurking out there somewhere in the deepening shadows beyond the soft light of the street lamps intermittently placed down the sidewalk._

Damn it! _I looked quickly from side to side, my glowing red eyes darting from place to place, biting my lip worriedly as I did so. _Darkness is falling and I _can't_ find him! Where the hell is he?!

_I thrust these thoughts to the side momentarily, with gritted teeth and an aching heart; I wanted to begin the search for him immediately but I knew I had to heal before I did anything, just in case something else decided to show up in the interim. Fortunately, tonight was the night of a full moon and would be the perfect time to heal my wounds and then begin the process of finding where Phoenix had disappeared to._

_I looked up at the moon, closing my eyes as the rays of soft moonlight streamed over me, my lips parting in joyous ecstacy, feeling my wounds closing and a fresh surge of strength flowing through me. Moonlight was exactly what I needed right now and, within a very short time, I was fully healed and refreshed, ready to tackle the arduous task of trying to find my lover in the sprawling wreckage._

_It wasn't going to be an easy task as I soon discovered by the sheer number of dead bodies spread out in front of me and I shuddered when I saw just _how_ many dead lay all around the Park where the battle had taken place. Would I have to go through all... _that? _I swallowed hard as it became apparent of just how gargantuan a task lay before me._

_Unfortunately, it was at this point when the panic I had managed to overcome by necessity earlier now returned with a vengeance._

Is he all right or...? _I shook my head violently, trying to clear it. _Stop it, Miles! You _must_ continue searching until you find him! There's _no_ other way to know...

_At that moment, I grimaced as a jolt of pain ran through me, my left hand slowly moving to my side to see what the cause of the searing bolt had been and coming back coated in a mixture of blood and a foul-smelling bluish-green ichor. I couldn't remember exactly _where_ it had come from but I reasoned it was from a particularly noxious serpent-demon that, as I recalled, was both nasty and had been extremely difficult to put down. Poisonous breath _does_ have that effect on human beings, unfortunately; it just gave _me_ a nasty headache._

_I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, trying to breathe through my mouth in order to avoid inhaling the putrid odor the ichor gave off. My brows knitted together as I stared at the mess on my hand, my mouth twisting in distaste as my thoughts once again went to Phoenix. We'd been separated when the monsters had attacked our group and I didn't know where he'd ended up after we had been scattered. I looked with sorrow upon some of the bodies of my comrades that had fallen in battle and I couldn't help but think that this same fate may have befallen my beloved._

_A low, sorrowful moan burst from me before I had a chance to stop it; I savagely clamped down on the rush of emotion, willing my racing heart to still and my chaotic thoughts to clear._ Enough! You're connected telepathically with him; if all else fails, mind-call him. _That_ will tell you where he's gotten to!

_It took some time before I managed to compose myself and, just as I was about to begin the process of clearing my mind of all thought in order to telepathically communicate with him, I felt, rather than heard, a faint heartbeat behind me. I whirled around, hope rising in my heart that it was Phoenix, his name rising on my lips as I turned around._

_It was not, I soon discovered, when I came nose to snout with a pig-faced monster, it's hideous, pock-marked face oozing blackish ichor, a wicked sickle-shaped sword clutched tightly in its meaty paws._

_Before I had to time to really take the full horror of the disgusting figure before me or my brain to fully comprehend that this definitely was_ NOT _Phoenix, the sickle-sword flashed, cutting a wide arc around the monster that narrowly missed cutting me in half. Fortunately, for me at least, the monster was hurt and couldn't do the damage it might have wished but I had barely enough time to take a breath as I quickly dove to the right, hearing that wicked little blade whistling past my ear._

_I didn't escape completely unscathed, I noticed rather bitterly when I picked myself off of the ground and whirled around to face the thing, my sword drawn and gleaming in the moonlight. That nasty little iron scrap had cut a five-inch long gash on the shoulder of my magenta jacket._

_Anger flowed through me as we warily circled each other, my red eyes snapping sparks as it grunted and squealed, its paw caressing the hilt of the sword, glaring balefully at me through ebony-black eyes. _

"Why you... that's _Armani_!" I_ yelled as I rushed forward, swinging my sword in a wide arc which met the sickle with a loud clanging noise, momentarily knocking the monster off of its feet. _"Do you have _any_ idea how expensive this is?! I _just_ bought it yesterday!"

_I bared my teeth and hissed as, eventually, I beat it down to its knees and, in one blow, neatly separated its head from its shoulders. The body collapsed, the sickle dropping harmlessly to the ground and clattering as it turned over a time or two before it lay still. I turned away from the hideous sight as I caught my breath, closing my eyes for a few minutes to compose myself and hoping that I didn't have another such interruption from any other unwelcome guests. I'd had enough unpleasant surprises for one night._

"Phoenix?" _I called into the gathering darkness a few moments after I'd gotten my breath back, my voice quavering slightly as the words left my mouth. I didn't want to think about what I was standing in-my stomach decided to give another lurch at this point and I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat with distaste-and noted, with ironic bitterness, that I had yet _again _ruined another pair of rather expensive Italian leather shoes. _"Can you hear me?"

_Silence. I felt my heart hammering hard in my chest and noted, with some irony, that it was said that the only beings that could truly feel fear were the living and I admit that I did take exception to the latter part of that saying, finding it to be personally insulting._

_Technically speaking, I_ wasn't _living, per se, but I felt fear coming off me in waves so thick that any other supernatural being in the immediate area could hardly have failed to notice it. As a deathly silence filled the area and the only sounds were of the wind blowing through the trees, I could reasonably conclude that there weren't any signs of anything undead in the general vicinity other than myself. At least for now._

_I had to calm myself; I was projecting much too clearly for either my liking or safety and I had to shut it down quickly. I was a beacon to any other such unsavory Beings that might be prowling around and, if they could "hear" what I was thinking, they knew who the perfect target would be._

Projecting fear like this isn't the wisest decision at this point, Miles, _I reminded myself sternly, my red eyes darting once again about the surrounding area, looking for any sign of movement which would indicate that there were other beings-such as myself-present. My heart hammered in my chest, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my sword until my knuckles turned white._ You _don't_ want to bring any undue attention to yourself; you'd be signing Phoenix's death warrant if you did. He wouldn't stand a chance against them.

_Thankfully, there wasn't any evidence or trace of anyone living-or the living dead-in this area that I could sense except me. I heaved a huge sigh of relief, for obvious reasons, and then went back to studying the landscape for any sign of Phoenix. After a few moments more of fruitless searching and panic increasing, it belatedly occurred to me, once again, that I could call out to him with my mind. It would, in effect, solve two problems at once: to see if he was still alive and to limit the things that could "listen" in._

**::Phoenix?::** _I bit my lower lip._ I hope it's not too late! There's so many dead. Is it conceivable that he's...? No, I _mustn't _think such things! He's _alive_ and I will find him! I have to keep trying!** ::Phoenix? Are you all right ? Can you hear me?::**

_Silence. I tried again, biting my lip as I did so, drawing a small bead of blood that looked like a red rose petal on my pale white skin. Still no reply. Forcing down the panic I could feel welling up deep within once again, I took a deep breath and was about to mind-call him for a third time when I heard Phoenix's weak mind-voice struggling to respond, confusion palpable in his mental "voice."_

**::Miles...? What...? Where...where are you? Why can't I see you and how can I... hear ...you in my head?::**

He's alive... I knew he would be!_ I wilted with relief, the grip on my sword lessening until the gory tip touched the ground, my face turned up toward the night sky, tears slowly coursing down my face in quiet rivulets. _I've finally managed to reach him and he's alive!

**::Miles...? What... how...? I... ::  
**

**::Never mind. Can you hear me, Phoenix?::**

**::Y-yes... ::  
**

**::I'm going to follow your mind-voice and it will take me to where you are. ::  
**

**::But...how...?::**

**::Never mind that now; just keep talking to me and I'll find you. ::  
**

**::Al-all right... ::  
**

_I ran until my lungs burned but I pushed on; time was critical at this point and, __if I was going to be able to save him at all, I had to find him soon. Cursing softly as I stepped in some unimaginable pool of_ something,_ I pushed onward, stumbling and nearly falling many times as I made my way across the battlefield._

_Scattered here and there among the bodies of the fallen, I found that there were some creatures who were still alive-barely, in most cases-and these I quickly dispatched with a single sword thrust through the throat before moving on. I was in no mood for mercy and set about my grisly task with grim determination, Phoenix's "voice" becoming clearer as I came closer to his location._

**::I...I can hear you but...why do I hurt so much? What happened? Why am I lying on my back in the muck? And what is this weird, sticky stuff all over me...? It's horribly nauseating... ::  
**

_I rolled my eyes, dodging a low-hanging tree branch_.

**::Honestly, Phoenix. I'm assuming that the "weird sticky stuff" all over you is the remnants of that group we just tangled with. You're hurt so please just lie still until help arrives.**_ :: His pulse was beginning to waver at this point and I could feel it slowing down. I pushed myself harder, gritting my teeth as I increased my running speed until I was practically flying over the ground._ **::Please, Phoenix! Hold on!::  
**

_His mind voice seemed resigned._** ::I... I don't think I can last that long, Miles... I'm so tired and it hurts... to breathe... ::  
**

_I tried to keep my racing thoughts contained as I ran through the Park, weaving in and out of thickets, dodging branches and the occasional snarling dog. I could feel the faint flicker of his heartbeat two miles West and I zeroed in on that like a falcon zeroing in on its prey._

**::You have to hang on, Phoenix! You'll be all right, I promise! Just hold on!::**

He's expectorating blood. This isn't good! Damn it, _where_ are they?!

**::I... I'm... not sure... I... can. Sorry, Miles... I... I ...don't think... I'm going... to... make it... ::  
**

_I burst through the clearing and saw my beautiful Phoenix lying on the cold, hard ground, his clothes shredded and ugly wounds covering his torso and legs. With a loud cry, I raced over to him and knelt beside him, wrapping my arms tightly around him and lifting him so that his head rested against my chest, crooning soft words of comfort._

**::No! Hang on... you have to hang on! Please, Phoenix, you have to! Don't give up on me now!::**

**::Miles... ::  
**

**::I'd miss you; I couldn't live without you! Please, come back to me... I don't want to spend my eternity without you! I can't let you go...I won't!::**

_I can feel his lips curving upward, his sensuous mouth curving into a sad little smile at the desperation I know he can hear in my voice but I didn't care._

**::I don't want to live without you!**_:: I buried my face in his neck, trying to keep the tears I could feel welling up behind my eyes from falling. _**::What good is eternity if I can't spend it with the one I love?! What would be the purpose of my continuing existence if you aren't there to share it with me?!::**

**::You must... ::  
**

**::NO!::**

_In that last, desperate moment, my head reared back, my eyes burning bloody red as I buried my teeth into his neck and began to feed. I could feel Phoenix's shock resonate throughout his body but I ignored it. When I was done, I slowly lifted my head from his neck and looked down at him, my eyes a soft shade of red before they closed in pure enjoyment, crooning softly. _

_When I had at last come back down to earth and opened my eyes once again, I could see Phoenix's shocked eyes staring at me in horror, his shaking fingers gingerly touching the twin wounds in his neck._

**::Miles! You...you...bit me?! Why did you do that?! And...what's the matter with your teeth...? They look so... odd... so... sharp and pointy and ... and ... not ... human... ::  
**

_I held him tightly, my fangs glittering in the moonlight as I bent over him, preparing to sink my teeth into his neck once again. He stared up at me mutely as I tenderly stroked his forehead, my eyes glowing with a strange, cold red light._

**::You're mine, Phoenix! I'll not let anyone, even Death, take you from me!**_:: At this, I sank my teeth deep within his neck again, his shrill cry of pleasure and pain lost in the darkness..._

* * *

With a start, I reared up in bed, my body bathed in a cold sweat, my heart hammering in my chest, my breath coming in short, ragged pants. I brought my hand shakily to my face, staring at its pale white outline, trembling violently in the near pitch-black darkness of our bedroom.

_What the hell was that?!_ Worry and fear clouded all my other senses in a sticky web of terror, my body shaking so violently that I was surprised that I didn't wake Phoenix who was sleeping peacefully next to me. _Was it a warning that something is going to happen?! What did it mean?!_

I raked my fingers slowly through my dark grey hair, rocking slowly back and forth, whispering words under my breath. _I _don't_ know why I'm automatically assuming that it is a warning; things have been going so well lately so, logically, I really _shouldn't_ be worrying but I am. I_ don't _trust perfection..._

I sighed as I waited for the trembling limbs to slowly steady themselves, wondering anew at just what this dream was supposed to mean. I never believed in dream interpretation before but _this_ one was so strong and menacing that I found myself terrified of the implications. In and of itself, _that _wasn't an everyday event; I wasn't the type who was frightened easily-in my line of work, you couldn't afford to be-by much of anything but this dream, for some reason, had obviously touched a nerve.

The nightmare frightened me a lot more than I cared to admit but I couldn't say exactly why... and that fact on its own was enough to raise some concerns. The thing that bothered me the most was Phoenix's reference to my teeth, that they looked_ "sharp and pointy... and definitely not human."_

_What the hell does that mean?!_ I wondered, biting my lower lip and tasting blood. _Was he speaking metaphorically or, hard as it is for me to believe, literally...?! _My brows furrowed, my lips pressing into a thin line. _I hardly think given this instance where I am clearly a vampire-what else could he have meant by the "your teeth look sharp and pointy...not human" comment?! Nothing else fits! We all know that vampires don't exist in the real world so it seems logical to me to just chalk the whole thing up to a bad dream and leave it at that._

That seemed to be the end of the matter as far as my logical half was concerned that but my emotional half was still very uneasy and I didn't understand why. Sighing deeply, and with the trembling in my limbs calmed for the most part, I wished I could figure that little tidbit out because _nothing_ made any sense. _Why_ was I so afraid of a nightmare?

_This is ridiculous!_ I thought with distaste, impatiently pressing my fingers against my eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them with a little more force than was really necessary. _It's just a chimera and nothing to concern myself with!_

My mind brimming with dark thoughts, I happened to glance down at Phoenix sleeping peacefully beside me and, despite myself, the corners of my mouth twitched upward into a smile. I marveled at how child-like he looked in the silvery rays of moonlight that streamed in through the window, his black eyelashes lying still on his pale cheeks.

I couldn't resist touching him, gently lowering my hand and tenderly stroking his face with my fingertips, my lips parting involuntarily as his cheek twitched slightly under my touch. He looked so angelic when he slept and my eyes widened in silent admiration at the beauty of his sleeping form.

My lips curved into a smile as my fingers traveled over his cheek and onto his neck, feeling the steady pulse of his blood as it coursed through his veins, my fingertip running gently down the length of his carotid artery, drawing in a deep breath as I did so.

That simple touch was filled with meaning and I felt my heart beginning to beat faster; it was amazing that such a small and simple action could be so erotic but it was and I felt a quiet moan rise to my lips, my limbs beginning to tremble.

_I must be going mad!_ I thought, uneasiness rising with every passing moment. My brow furrowed once again as I attempted to lift my finger from Phoenix's skin and, to my chagrin, I found I couldn't. It was almost as if it was glued there. _This is absurd! I should be able to lift my finger away from him without any trouble so why the hell is it proving impossible to do?! I know I'm _not_ dreaming!!!_

I licked my lips nervously; I didn't know what was going on and I really didn't like it nor these odd feelings coursing through me like liquid fire, burning everything they came into contact with. I could scarcely repress a moan that threatened to burst from my lips as I leaned down closer to Phoenix's sleeping form, zeroing in on his neck like a bird of prey.

My eyes narrowed as I licked my lips, feeling his pulse throbbing gently beneath my finger, my breathing becoming hard and shallow. My heart started to beat faster as I slowly leaned in towards him, my lips now mere inches away from his tantalizing skin. I couldn't understand what it was exactly that I found so arousing about his skin but I reasoned that it must mean that I was intoxicated with my lover's warmth; there couldn't possibly be any other reason... could there?

At that moment, I felt something rather odd taking place in my mouth and wondered, briefly, what had caused that flash of pain but brushed it aside with an air of impatience. I had other things on my mind at the present and that centered on Phoenix's delicious flesh and how much I wanted to sink my teeth into it.

My eyes widened as my lips parted, a loud moan escaping me before I had a chance to stop it. Unfortunately, the ferocity of my passion was what woke my sleeping lover who looked at me rather curiously, an enigmatic expression on his face, confusion clearly shining in his sleepy eyes.

"Miles?" he asked drowsily, a dreamy smile on his face, "what are you doing?" His eyes widened as he realized just how close my lips were to his neck. "And why is your mouth so close to my neck?"

_Good question. I honestly don't know myself. I just have this uncontrollable urge to bite your neck and I honestly don't know why! I also have no idea why my mouth feels so weird and why I feel like there's something in there that shouldn't be... like extra teeth!_

"I-I don't... know..." I admitted lamely, my face coloring with embarrassment as I quickly thrust myself away from him. "I honestly have_ no_ idea of why it's so close to your throat." I was confused and upset since I had no idea what was going on and I didn't like it.

Phoenix's expression went from mildly bemused and surprised to unhappy and pained at my sudden withdrawal away from him; I hastened to reassure him that it wasn't because of him but because of a crazy dream which I then proceeded to relate to him in full detail.

Phoenix listened quietly, his eyebrow raising when I told him about the comment he made in the dream about how my teeth _"looking so odd... sharp and pointy... and ... and ... not... human" _and I could see he was trying hard not to laugh out of respect for my feelings. Believe me, I was very grateful for this consideration. I had to admit that it did sound amusing but it scared me out of my wits.

As I've already stated, I was very concerned about the dream; I couldn't stop thinking about it or having it rolling through my mind continuously, as if it were on a reel. Phoenix knew this which is why he didn't tease me or press the subject once it became crystal clear how much it bothered me to talk about it. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him, muffling my gasp of protest, and cradled my head on his shoulder, stroking my sweat-soaked grey hair tenderly with his fingertips.

I struggled a little at first but, as it soon became quite apparent to me that he wouldn't let me go, I sighed and melted into his warm and safe arms, burying my face in his neck, my lips quivering. His scent was overwhelming and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to attack his neck and I sternly told my insides to leave me alone.

For many minutes, he continued to hold me and, eventually, I began to relax, the terror and confusion of the nightmare beginning to slowly ebb into a distant memory... or it would have if I hadn't opened my eyes at that precise moment and saw only Phoenix's reflection in the mirror behind the bed.

As my eyes widened in horror and my mouth worked with no sound coming out of it except a strangled gasp, I knew in that instant that the nightmare hadn't been_ just_ a nightmare after all. It _was _real!

"Miles?" I heard Phoenix's concerned voice ask and I dragged myself back to reality, hoping that he wouldn't notice that there was only _his_ reflection in the mirror and not _mine_. "Are you all right?"

_How the hell am I supposed to answer that?!_ I couldn't suppress the fear that swept through me like a tidal wave, my entire body shivering so violently that my teeth rattled, my fingers digging into the soft, black material of his pajamas, clutching at it like it was a lifeline. _I can't even see my reflection in a bloody mirror, for crying out loud! _I clutched at him, wailing in grief. _What is this going to mean for me... for us?! What will happen if Phoenix finds out about... Oh, God! How am I going to tell him that I'm... that I'm..._

"Miles?" Phoenix's voice cut into my thoughts, his tone very concerned. "Are you all right?" I felt his arms tightening around me, trying to comfort me.

"No!" I cried out in desperation, tears flowing down my face in rivers. "I'm not all right!"

I felt Phoenix hold me even more tightly to him.

"Miles," he crooned softly, stroking my sweat-matted head gently, whispering soft words of comfort into my ears, the tip of his nose gently grazing my skin. "What's the matter?" Very slowly and with great tenderness, he put me from him and put his fingers underneath my chin, gently lifting it to look into his worried blue eyes as I blubbered and sniffled. "_Whatever_ it is, we can deal with it_ together_. Please... just tell me what is wrong. I want to help you in any way I can."

I shook my head helplessly, tears beginning to flow once again, my trembling hands coming up to cup the front of my face, my fingers clutching at my skin as if they were preparing to tear it off. I wished I could!

"_You_ can't help _me_, Phoenix!" I wailed through my hands, my voice slightly muffled. "_No one _can!"

Phoenix's brow creased until his eyebrows met in the middle, his concern level rising with every passing moment. I could literally feel it rising and I wished I could have alleviated some of his fear but I was in too much psychic pain to be able to do much of anything for anybody.

I _knew_, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I, somehow, _was_ a vampire and I had _no_ idea how I was going to break the news to Phoenix. I could see it now: _"Oh, by the way, Phoenix I'm a vampire and, yes, I do mean a member of the blood-sucking undead who thrives on the blood of the living in order to sustain itself. I'm not quite sure exactly how that happened; I only know that it has. Are you all right with that?"_

I groaned. _God, who am I kidding?! He's isn't going to take this well!_

"What are you talking about?" Phoenix countered, trying very hard to keep the very real fear that I could feel coming off of him in waves from his voice. I knew what he was thinking: that I wanted to end our relationship but that wasn't it at all! I didn't want to end it; I was just afraid it would end once Phoenix found out about my... _condition._

"Miles, _please_..." Phoenix begged, his fingers gripping my shoulders through my pajamas so hard I was afraid the fabric would tear. "_Tell_ me what's wrong." The fear in his voice was thick enough to cut with and every word that came from his tortured lips wounded me; I felt as if I were the one who was brandishing the knife, that I was the one plunging it in and out of him.

_How_ could I get him to understand that I was afraid that _he_ would leave _me_ once he found out that I was a vampire? It was bad enough that I was now a member of the walking Undead but to _tell_ the one person I loved more than anyone else in the world that I was a vampire meant disaster!

What would he say? How would he react? Would he end our relationship and walk away? Would he not be able to handle the fact that I now had to suck blood to stay alive and wouldn't be able to touch me without shrinking in disgust? I didn't know and that scared me even more; how _does_ one react to the news that your loved one is a vampire? Not_ well_, I'm certain!

The problem was that I couldn't hide it from him forever; sooner or later, Phoenix was bound to find out that I was a vampire. All things considered, I'd rather have him find out from _me_ rather than by chance such as looking in a mirror and noticing that_ he_ is the only one reflected in it. The troubling question was how does one going about telling your loved one that you're a Vampire without them thinking you're either mad or delusional? I never believed that it was even remotely _possible_-or that they even existed at all-to become a Vampire and now I_ was_ one!

Beside the obvious crimp this was going to put into my life in general, not to mention those related to work, the world-and life-I knew before was now gone, blown away in the wind like a wisp of smoke.

I sighed brokenly and buried my face back into Phoenix's shoulder, feeling him start at the unexpected desperation of my embrace. I felt a little bit better when his shaky arms slowly wrapped around me and held me close to him._ Walker of Both Worlds. That's what I am now: alive but not alive_, _dead but not dead_, _in a hell of limbo forever. _

I felt scalding hot tears slowly trickling down my cheeks and I gripped Phoenix's shoulders tightly, feeling him wince slightly; I relaxed my grip somewhat and felt the tension in him slowly ebb away. _I'm_ _not human anymore and I _can't_ live in the human world so exactly _where_ does this leave me? What about Phoenix; where does it leave_ him_? Where does it leave _us_?_

This was becoming more and more complicated by the moment and I could feel the slight but insistent stirrings of a headache beginning in the back of my head from all the problems that were now making themselves known. Unfortunately, these new and difficult problems would invariably accompany my _new _stage of life.

_I didn't ask for this! _I railed against the Unknown in my mind_. It wasn't _my_ fault this happened! It's not like I _wanted _living death! _I clutched at Phoenix's shirt, my fingers wrapping around the fabric and clenching into a fist. _Why me? Why did it have to happen to me?!_

I knew that wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to help but I couldn't have stopped it even if I had tried._ Everything_, in the space of one day, was gone and I had no idea how I was going to deal with the traumatic changes living death brought with it. I clutched at Phoenix's shirt and twisted the fabric even harder in my shaking fingers, wincing at the loud snarl of fabric tearing that seemed to echo throughout the room, Phoenix's gasp of surprise almost drowning it out.

_God...what am I going to do?_


	2. Words Have No Power To Impress The Mind

_A/N: More Vampire!PxE goodness!_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Miles is in a terrible quandry: should he tell Phoenix what he remembers of what happened that Halloween night or should he stay quiet, burying what he can recall in the deepest recesses of his mind?__ He knows that he should tell Phoenix the truth but he just can't bring himself to**,** fearing the consequences if he does but he also knows the consequences if he doesn't... What's a newly Turned Vampire to do?  
_

At last! It's done and up! :) Sorry this has taken me so long to get done; _too_ many fics and _too_ little time! (For those who are following this story, I'm currently plugging away at chapter seven of "Little Place of Forgetting" and have five pages written this far. I'm hoping to get it up this weekend or Thursday next week at the very latest! :^) )

Poor Miles. He's _really_ a nervous wreck, poor guy, and who can really blame him? He's had _quite_ the life change, and that's putting it mildly! It isn't surprising that he's having a _very_ difficult time adjusting to his new unlife! There's nothing like a roving band of rogue SuperNaturals who Turn you into a Vampire to _really_ put a _very_ significant crimp in your life and ruin your weekend! Rotten brats! =D  
Miles is still wrestling with trust issues but the silly boy really should know by now that he can trust Phoenix with _anything_ and it would be better to hear it from Miles himself _before_ Phoenix notices that only_ one_ of their reflections is showing up in a mirror... Kind of a tough call but honesty is the best way to go! Phoenix will understand. :) He loves and cares for Miles deeply so I don't think that a little thing like Miles being a Vampire will phase him in the slightest, nor will it change how he feels. Now, if only Miles could get that from his _head_ to his _heart_...

I think its funny that Miles _still_ has the same opinion of attorney conferences here as he does in chapter 3 of "All Things Being Equal." He's consistent, at least! :D (Or I am. ;D )

"First bite" is a line by Aleera, one of Dracula's three Vampire Brides in the film "Van Helsing." Its cool and it fits! :D

Anyway, this is the last of the _very_ serious chapters for awhile and, from here on in, mayhem and silliness will come forth in equal measure alongside the seriousness! :D

I hope that you enjoy this chapter and, as always, comments, constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome!!

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Dedicated to Attalander from y!Gallery who's wonderful PxE vampire fanfiction first inspired this work of mine. Thank you for the inspiration and I hope you like it!

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_Thank you, as always, to my readers who frequently read-and even re-read-my stories and those who have commented, _ read, reviewed, favourited/story alerted my stories and thanks also to those who have author alerted/favourite authored, as well! I appreciate it very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my stories and I hope that you will continue to enjoy them in the future! :)

**HUGE** thanks to my beta, Midnight-hunter, for her comments, help and support! Thank you so much for your input! *HUG*

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As always,** much** love to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his enduring love, support, encouragement, nagging (when necessary), for reigniting the fire within me to write and comfort when I feel like tearing out my hair during the writing process! Love you, babe!  
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Teen, Vampire!Phoenix x Edgeworth, Alternate Universe/Supernatural/Romance/Humor/Horror/Comfort

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**Words Have No Power To Impress The Mind Without The Exquisite Horror Of Their Reality**

* * * *  
_  
_

_Four months earlier..._

October 31st  
Chicago, Illinois  
11 P.M.

_I was in Illinois for a couple of weeks for a conference of all Prosecuting attorneys. At the moment, I was walking wearily back to my hotel room, wanting nothing more than to fall face down on the bed and sleep for a week. I wondered, somewhat sourly, why they continued to hold the blasted things in the first place since, as far as I could tell, they really didn't do much good in the long run._

I hated coming to these conferences since they were a continuous source of interruption of my plans with Phoenix which really annoyed me but, as I didn't really have a good excuse to get out of going (although, given enough time, I was sure I could come up with something resembling a passable excuse), here I was.

Chicago was, admittedly, a beautiful city. In times past, I would have eagerly thrown myself into all the history and culture it had to offer but, now that I had a steady lover, I found my thoughts wandering to him many times a day. I missed Phoenix terribly and each day we were apart increased the longing I felt inside to go home and be with him. I was flying back to California next Friday on the five o'clock flight and I was already counting down the days until I left.

I was crossing the bridge over the river when I heard what sounded like a scuffle off to the side and, for reasons which I cannot comprehend even now, I hurried across the bridge and over to the right side of the bank where the sounds were coming from. To my horror, I saw a young woman struggling in the grip of a bunch of ruffians and hastened to run to her aid, not once stopping to think but just reacting on pure instinct. I pushed aside one of the ruffians and punched another in the face, listening to the satisfying crunch of bone as I broke his nose. He screamed and grabbed at his face, cursing me roundly with some choice epithets and some that I was convinced that he'd made up.

The others dropped the woman and raced over to me. I was disconcerted to find myself surrounded, in mere seconds, by a band of ugly, scowling and thoroughly nasty characters.

How the hell did they get over here so fast?! _I thought with some surprise that quickly turned to unease as they started circling me like a school of sharks, their ugly faces grinning with anticipation._ No human being can move _that_ fast!

_I was beginning to wonder what I'd gotten myself in for as they advanced and, without warning, the group attacked me as one. I groaned as I fell to my knees and then rolled onto the ground, punches and kicks coming at me from all sides as I curled into a ball, trying to protect myself as much as I could from the repeated blows._

This... this can't... be happening! How...how... can this..._be_?!

_One moment, I was going to the rescue of a woman that I didn't even know, trying to protect her from what I_ thought _were merely a bunch of thugs that I could handle and, in the next, I was in the center of a rapidly advancing group of... somethings that definitely weren't human._

I didn't-or, more truthfully, I couldn't-resist when one of them reached down and picked me up by the scruff of my collar, forcing me to look up into an extraordinarily ugly face that was grinning with both malicious intent and an eager anticipation that made my blood run cold. I shuddered as I looked into that face, its blood red eyes gleaming with a manic pleasure that I found to be very disconcerting and menacing. He tightened his hand around my collar, jerking me painfully to my feet and licking his lips in anticipation.

_I winced as the sour-sweet smell of his breath wafted by my nose, trying to subtly turn my head so that the scent wasn't so strong. Unfortunately for me, he noticed and jerked my head back, brought his face close to mine and deliberately breathed in my face, laughing uproariously after he had done so._

I felt sick and tried to control the dry heaving I could feel building up inside and, while I was only partially successful, at least I managed to keep my insides inside and not use them to decorate the pavement in front of me.

"My, my. What do we have here?" _I heard one of them say with an edge to his voice that I couldn't quite comprehend but I didn't like the way it sounded nor the underlying tone of menace that accompanied the seemingly innocuous words. When I had gathered enough courage to open my tightly closed eyes, I could see a pair of crimson eyes looking intently at me._ "A sweet little pretty... so delicious and handsome, too!"

Pretty...? What the hell is he talking about?!

_There were many murmurs of agreement and I struggled, feebly as it turned out, to get away from the one who held me but it was a useless endeavor. I wasn't going anywhere until he released me._

"I'll bet he'll taste mighty fine... mighty fine, indeed!" _I heard another say directly behind me. I whimpered as I tried to escape again from my captor, which proved as useless as it had before._

I could have tried to make him release me by punching him somewhere on his body but the beating I'd received earlier pretty much crossed that possibility off of the list of things I could do to escape. It was far too late to do anything and I had to accept my fate, whatever that would ultimately prove to be.

_As I watched the crowd slowly closing in, I felt like a fly enmeshed in a spider's web: helpless to move and watching the hungry spider coming toward me... There was_ no _mistaking that lean and hungry look on all of the faces that were surrounding me on all sides and it now occurred to me, rather belatedly, that I was in serious trouble._

"Yes, indeed! We _are_ indeed fortunate to have such a pretty boy to replace the woman!" _My flesh crawled when a taloned hand reached out and touched my face, the razor-sharp nail trailing lazily down my cheek to my neck_. "She _might_ have been delicious but _this_ pretty is far _more_ delectable! The Master _will_ be pleased with him, that's certain!"

Master...?

"Do we _have_ to save him _specifically_ for the Master?" _another wheedling, raspy voice chimed in from close on my left._ "Why can't _we_ have a little nibble before _he_ does? _We're_ the ones who captured the pretty, after all, and I say that _we_ should get first bite, not _him_!"

_Murmurs of agreement filled my ears and I heard an odd clicking sound coming from my right but I couldn't turn my head to see what it was since I was held firmly, the crush of bodies preventing me from seeing anything except the ruffians crowding around me._

"He's right! Why should the Master get all the fun with the pretties and we just get second-rate leftovers?! I agree with Keihran—we _should_ get first bite and enjoy the pretty _we_ worked _very_ hard to get!"

I can't believe that they're fighting over _who_ gets to bite _me_ first! Now I know how a canapé feels... _Somehow, it was kind of lowering_.

_The one who held me looked around, his crimson eyes meeting each one of the gang's in tandem; evidently what he saw pleased him since he lifted me right off the ground, my feet kicking feebly six inches above it._

"They _do_ have a good point, pretty," _he said reasonably, bringing me closer to him until my dark greys met his crimson and I mewled in fear as I saw the burning hunger in them._ "And I agree; we _should_ get first bite since _we_ were the ones who did all the work in capturing you in the first place."

_He smiled, a horribly evil lustful sneer that spread across his ugly face, making him seem even more gargoyle-like, his tongue slowly snaking out of his mouth and licking my face as I shuddered in disgust._

"I shall, indeed, enjoy this _very_ much my sweet pretty..." _He then laughed, a harsh, barking sound that the others, pressing in even closer, echoed until it felt like I was surrounded by a pack of wild dogs._ "I _can't_ say the same for you, pretty, because I don't know _if_ you will enjoy it or not but who knows? Maybe you _will_... I _can_ make it pleasurable, after all... _if_ I choose to..."

No... this can't be happening! Someone, please: HELP ME!!! HELP ME!!!!

_I could see numerous pairs of crimson eyes slowly advancing toward us, each one burning with that unsettling mix of lust, hunger and sick pleasure. I tried to cry out but I couldn't; it was like something, or someone, had paralyzed my vocal cords and I was unable to make a sound._

I wondered if the reason for that was those peculiar crimson stares that penetrated me to the very core of my being. I felt violated by those stares and knew, without a doubt, that soon I would be violated by more than just _by those eyes..._

I whimpered a final time deep in my throat as their ugly faces filled my line of vision until I was looking out over a sea of red. The last thing I remembered were the crimson eyes of my captor as they locked onto mine, followed shortly by a sharp, pleasant sting and then blessed nothingness...

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Miles...? Are you all right? Hey... **MILES**!!!" Phoenix's concerned voice jerked me firmly back into the present and I jumped a little, startled at the sharp, staccato sound that came out of his mouth. "You ok?! Miles!"

My eyes were as wide as saucers and I could feel myself trembling a little as Phoenix held me close, crooning soft words of comfort in my ear. My mouth was working but no sound came out and I licked my dry lips repeatedly in order to moisten them, my breath coming in short, ragged pants.

_That night... why am I thinking of that... night... again, after all this time? Why now?_

The night in question had been the one where I'd been Turned by a roving band of SuperNaturals. As I learned much later, the woman, whom I had inadvertently rescued from what I had assumed to be nothing more than a band of thugs had been, in essence, their meal and they were ready to begin Feeding when I arrived.

At first, they were quite put out with me for letting their supper get away and I suppose that I couldn't really have blamed them for that. After all, _my_ annoyance level would go through the stratosphere if someone interrupted _me_ at dinner time.

After a few moments, it slowly dawned on them that they had the perfect substitute nibble-me-right there for the taking and very thoughtfully tenderized beforehand to ensure that I _wouldn't_ get away.

Mercifully, my memories stop there and I can't remember what happened after they Fed upon me or even what happened during the Feeding. All I can recall from that night are those crimson eyes and waking up sprawled on a park bench, bruised and disheveled at four o'clock in the morning, looking into the concerned eyes of a policeman who was gently shaking my shoulder in order to rouse me from what I'm assuming was a deep stupor.

I lost five hours that Halloween night, my last as a human being: five hours that I can't get back and five hours that I have no conscious memory of. I don't know exactly _what_ happened during that time and, quite frankly, I don't want to know.

The sharp pain I felt before I lost consciousness was still fresh in my memory and I had to learn to be content with that. The fact that I was blocking those memories was quite sufficient to prove to me that it was probably better that I remain in the dark of the events of those five hours... for Phoenix's sake as much as for my own. I shuddered as I remembered the hot breath on my neck...

"Miles!"

I shook my head hard, trying to clear the mental cobwebs from my brain and, with them, the memories of those crimson eyes and the sweetly sour scent...

_This is_ definitely _turning out to be a_ very _bad day..._

"Miles, please... talk to me..." I could hear the pleading in his voice and it cut me to the quick. "_What's_ wrong?"

I had to turn away from those pleading eyes; I _couldn't_ tell him what had happened because five hours of it was lost and I had no idea what had occurred during that stretch of time. Truthfully, I didn't want to know and, whenever I tried to probe those blocked memories, I had to keep reminding myself that _no_ good would come of it and it would be best if I dropped the idea all together.

_How can I tell Phoenix what happened when I have five hours of time I can't account for?_ I bit my lip and winced when I felt my retractable fang cut through the flesh, a bead of blood welling up from the wound. I quickly licked my lips again, hoping that he wouldn't notice. _What can I say when I don't even remember what took place in that time frame? Amnesia may be a good thing for me but its not going to be to Phoenix who, as I well know, will continue to poke and prod until he gets answers._ I groaned with feeling, my hands clenching into fists once again. _The only downside to Wright's personality..._

My shoulders slumped. _How can I tell him that the answers he's looking for are ones I_ can't _provide? How will that sound? Dodgy, that's how! I don't mean to be; I just don't know_ what _took place!_

I clenched my hand into a fist, pressing it hard against my closed eyes, a soft moan emerging from my throat that nearly sent Phoenix into a frenzy of fear that I could all but smell on him. As much as I wanted to-ached to-reach out to him and reassure him, I _couldn't..._ not without revealing the secret I knew I had to hide from him.

My conscience nagged me repeatedly as I tried to justify my silence on the matter. How could I possibly expect that Phoenix would understand my predicament since he was still very much _human_ and I _wasn't_ anymore. How could I hope for even one moment that he _would_ understand that I, literally, had _all_ the time in the world to do things now since I was both outside of time _and_ apart from it and he wasn't?

No matter _what_ venue I chose to look at it from, it all boiled down to the exact same thing: Phoenix wouldn't, and couldn't, possibly understand what I was going through. Everything would come crashing down upon our heads if I tried to explain that, while I didn't know exactly what happened during those lost five hours, it _wasn't_ good and it Turned me from a human being into an immortal, undead blood-sucking monster.

"I-" I began but he hurriedly cut me off, his trembling fingers grasping my chin and forcibly bringing it around to look at him.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the desperate, pleading look on his face and, though I tried to jerk my head away so I wouldn't have to see those sad blue eyes, he held me firm, his lips trembling and tears welling up in his eyes.

"Miles... _please_..." he said softly, his voice thick with unshed tears and my immortal heart broke once more at the pain that I could Feel coming from deep within him. "Don't shut me out... I _know_ there's something wrong and I _want_ you to tell me what it is." I tried again to turn my head but, as before, I was unsuccessful. "Whatever it might be, it _isn't_ anything that we can't handle together... I just want you to tell me what's wrong and why you're acting so cagey."

How could I tell him? How could I tell him that I wasn't human anymore and that I was cursed with eternal unlife? How could he understand what that meant? I was Immortal and outside the limits of human existence while he was still firmly inside them; how could I make him understand the vast gulf that had now opened up between us?

He was hurting... and there really wasn't _anything_ I could do to soothe him.

**Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.**

_Interesting that I should think of this quote by Edgar Allan Poe now. Completely appropriate given the circumstances but, nonetheless, interesting._

I finally managed to free myself from his grip and looked away.

"Nightmares..." I said thickly and he gasped as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, resting my head on his shoulder and running his fingers through my hair, murmuring soft words of comfort. "I was having... nightmares..." I just didn't tell him of _what_.

As he crooned softly in my ear and gently admonished me for taking so long to tell him I was having night terrors again, I couldn't help but think of that quote, wondering _how_ much longer it would be before Phoenix learned the truth and left me forever. I _had_ to tell him... but I _couldn't_.

**Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.**

How true this was proving to be.


End file.
